The BBC is reporting that Ben and Jerry’s has said its chief executive, David Stever, was being removed by its parent company, Unilever, in a growing dispute over the ice cream company’s political activism.
The allegation was part of a legal case filed in a US court by Ben and Jerry’s that says Unilever violated a merger agreement by trying to silence its social mission.
Unilever did not immediately reply to a request for comment from BBC News.
It comes a month after the ice cream company accused Unilever of demanding that it stops publicly criticising US President Donald Trump.
The filing says the decision to oust Stever was made without any consultation, as required in the merger agreement between the two companies.
It added that Unilever attempted to force the independent board into rubber stamping the decision.
Ben and Jerry’s was bought by Unilever in 2000 through a merger agreement that created an independent board tasked with protecting the ice cream brand’s values and mission.
The company has long been known for taking a public stance on social issues.
Stever has been with Ben and Jerry’s since joining the firm in 1988 as a tour guide.
He was appointed CEO in 2023.
English (US) ·